Cushion-wheel.



L F. NETTLE.'

CUSHION WHEEL.

APPLlcAloN man Nov. 18, 1914.

Q Patented June 15, l915.

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L F. NETTLE.

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39H3? F. NETTLE, Ol? BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSGNR 03'? ONEHALF T0 SAVIN LISA, OF HTTE, MONTANA.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented June t5. i915.

etplieaiion itoveinber 1e i914. serial no. 872,773.

Y 0 all whom it may cones/rn.'

Be it known that I, JQHN E. Nn'ramn, a :itizen et the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silver Bow and State of iiiiontana, have invented certa-in new and useful. lmprovernents in lCnshion-llheels, of which the following is 'a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawtifi/Iy invention relates to vehicle wheels,

and particularly to wheels designed 'fornse on aiitoinobiles and like vehicles.

The main object ot my invention is to provide a wheel particularly adapted tor heavy service, and in which there shall be relatively great resilience.

A further object ot the invention is to form the wheel so that the parts thereof may be readily assembled er disassembled in rase et repairs being needed.

A further object is to provide a wheel having a plurality et sets of cushioning members so arranged that the exterifr Series ot cushioning members will take up the lighter jolts and shocks to which the wheel likely to be sl'xbjeeted, while both series et' eusliifiming members will be actuated by and will Cushion jolts or shocks of a severe nature. L

L further object ot the invention is to so form the wheel that it will resist lateral strains.

Another objeet'lof the invention is to provide means `for preventing dust, dirt orgrit trom passing into the interior of the wheel.

Other objects will appear in the course ot the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the aee0mpanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Wheel embodying one form et my invention, one of the easing plates of the wheel being broken away to show the interior construetion; l" 3 s diarnetrieal section oi the Wheel shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the manner in which one of the coiled springs is supported at its ends; Fig. 4l is a side elevation of another torni oi? wheel, the exterior easing being partly broken away so as to show the interior of `the wheel; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary diarnetrical section through the wheel; Fig, o is a detail longitudinal section of a portion of -one ot the cushioning members.

Corresponding and like parte are referred lto iny the following description and designestedA in. all parts of the drawings by like reterenee ininierafls. i

tiefere Kto Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it `will be seen that t ie wheel comprises in this case a hub portion 9. which is adapted to rest upon and be carried by the axle 3 and rotate either with or upon this axle. 'The hub por tion is formed with a. central radially ex tending body 4 and a base from which the body extends, this base being cut away to form two steps 5 and 6.

Mounted upon the steps 6 and abutting against the shoulders formed by the steps 5 are the annular hub .rings 7, each ot which is formed with a flanged base adapted to be attached in any suitable manner to the hub as by means of screws. t will o'feourse be seen that the innerI faces ot the hub rings are spared troni the .adjacent faces et' the body l oit the hub.

Disposed on eaeh .side of the body 4 of the hub are the annular plates 8, these plates being spared from each other and having their inner margins disposed between the hub rings 7 and the body @l of the hub for sliding niovunent. The outer margins of these plates are disposed on eaeh side of and in sliding engagement with a folly 9. This telly has a width equal to the space between the plates 8, and has an outer relatively wide portion 10 to which `a tread or tire 11 may be attached in any suitable inanner. he outer 4side faces of the widened or tread portion 10 of the telly are out away to provide recesses in which are disposed the outer margins of the telly plates 12, these telly plates being held in position against the telly by means of stud bolts 13. It will of course be noted that the outer margins of the plates 8 have lfree slidii movement between the bbdy of the telly and the plates 12. i

Disposed between the inner and outer margins o1e the annular plates 8 isan abut- `ment. ring 14. This ring as illustrated in Fig. 2, is preferably hollow, and the inner and outer faces of the ring are channeled` The ring is provided with transverse bolt holes for the reception of bolts 15 which pass through the plates 8 and through the ring and hold the ring securely in place. As illustrated, there are three series of these bolts. Thus this ring 14 is held rigidly to the plates 8 and Vis movable therewith.

Disposed between the felly 9 and the abutment ring 14 is a series of. cushioning springs 16. Any inward movement of. the felly will compress these springs 16 and any outward movement of the felly with relation to the hub will expand the springs.

The ends of the springs are held respectively to the abutment ring 14 and to the felly 9 by bifurcated or forked pins 17, between the forks of which the ends of the springs are placed, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

'a transverse pin or bolt 18 being passed through the'bifiircated or forked extremity of thepin 17 and through the end of the spring. 1 do not wish to limit myself, how- 'the hub 4: and to the abutment ring by forkedor bifurcated pins 17 as heretofore described.

In order to prevent the passage of dirt, dust oi grit into the spring containing chambers. I preferably provide ou .each side ist of the felly the ring plates 20 which beatil against the inner faces of the plates 8. Preferably the sides of the felly are recessed for the reception of the plates 2O and also" formed with chambers in which are disposed tlie springs 21, these springs acting to urge the p'latcs Q0 outward and into close contact with the inner faces of the plates S. A pair of these protecting dust rings designated 22 are also disposed in recesses upon the outer faces of the hub t adjacent the inner margin:- of the plates S, these plates being forced outward and against the inner faces of the plates 8 by means of .the eoiledsprings 23.

Where the wheel illustrated in Figs. 1, 2

and 3 is to be used as a driving wheel, I'

attach to those plates 12 which are disposed upon the one face of the wheel, the pulley ring Q4 by which power may be transmitted to the wheel.

The operation of this form of my invention will be understood from what has gone before. The object of arranging the two series of springs in the manner shown is to distribute the load and the shockto the top and bottoni portions of the wheels siinultaneously and. preventthe springs from swaying too much while the wheelv is re volyed, the clips or forked pins 17 which engage these springs hol-ding the springs se'- curely inpla'ce` but permitting expansion or contraction. The load and shock will coinpress both series ot' springs below the axle and will expand the springs above. the axle;

thus while, the spring. below the axle are resisting the load and shock by vcompression, the springsahove the axle are supporting the axle from the upper portion of the wheel. The annular hub plates if are for the purpose of resisting lateral strains and thrusts in conjunction with theside plates 8. These side plates 8 alsoprevent theV felly from moving laterally with relation to the wheel. 'The series of Aplates 12 Afastened t0 the sides of the felly are for the purpose of preventing any tendency of the felly to pry 4open the side plates 8.

The other form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 isin many'respects similar to the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. This form of wheel comprises a hub portion designated 25, which comprises a base vand a incdially disposed radially ,extending body 2G. The base is recessed oi` stepped for the reception of the oppositely disposed liub rings 27, which in this instance are connected to 'each other and to the hub by means of the transverse bolts 28. These plates Q7 are spaced'from the side facespf the body Q6 a sufficient distancevto admitv therein the side plates 29. Entrance'of grit or dirt between the side plates and the side faces ofthe body of the hub is prevented by means of the dust rings 30 which are disposed against the side faces 'ofthe hub body 26 and are urged/outward against the inside faces of the side plates Q9 by means of springs 31 contained in recesses in the body portion of thev hub. It is to be noted at this point that the circumference of the hub is slightly concaved transversely.

Disposed between and holding the side plates in spaced relation and rigidly connected is the abutment ring 3Q. This abutment ring has its opposite faces conci-.rely curved transversely, and is held to the side plates by means of transversely extending bolts 33. There are two series of these bolts.

The folly of the wheel has a medially dis posed inwardly ektending body portion 34 and a ielatiyely wide tread portion to which the tire 3G will be attached. This body portion 34 is narrower than the space y Y between the plates 29, and disposedv between the outer faces of the body portion 34e and the margins of the plates 29 are the dust rings 36 urged outward against' the faces of the plates Z9 by means of springs 3?.

Disposed on each side of the tread of the caved faces of the hub body and the ring 32 is a. cusl'iioning clement ll() which has the torni of a cylindrical ring.

While I do not wish to limit myself te i any particular form of ring or cushioning iso' element, l preferably' form it with a plurality of interior chambers 41, these chambers being preferably spherical in form.

Disposed between the' abutment ring and the body portion 34 of the tread element is the cushioning ring 42, which is preferably constructed in the same manner as the cushioningI element 40. A. drive pulley 43 may be attached to one of the ring plates 38, while a drive pulley 44 may be attached to one of the side plates 29 by the bolts 33 which pass through the abutment 32.

The operation of the wheel shown in Figs. 4 and-5 will be obvious from what has gone before. Shocks delivered to the wheel or loads upon the axle will be supported by means of the cushioning elements 40 and 42 in case of relatively light shocks. The cushioning element 42 will probably receive most of the shock, but in ease of a load upon the aXle it is obvious that both of the cushioning elements will be put in action and the strain and load distributed.

ln the operation of my ,wheel the slidable side plates 8 are to take lateral strains and will slip circumferentially only 'to that eX- tent permitted by the springs 16 and 19. The wheel will not be rendered less operative, however, because of the slippage Aoit these side plates. lVhen the wheel shown in Figs. l and 2 'is used as a driving wheel the power should be transmitted to the telly of the Wheel, thus relieving the springs 1'6 and 19 from strains caused by the propelling force. lf power is applied to hub or to the slidable side plates 8, this power will be transmitted to the telly by the spring'. ln the construction. shown in Figs. 4 and 5 it is preferred tha t the power shall be transmitted to the telly instead of to the hub when the wheel is used as a' driving wheel. If power is ransmitted to the hub the tendency of the inner resilient member 42 will be to slip with the hub unless very heavily,

loaded. This tendency to slip is reduced to a minimum when the power is transmitted to a. point beyond or at the periphery of the resilient member 40, or when the power, is conveyed to the abutment ring. power is conveyed to the fellv slipping` of When the y the members within the folly will not cause a loss of power. In fact, the slipping of the members will be practically nil. The slidable side plates are not intended for the purpose of taking circumferential strains but lateral strains. The purpose of the abutment ring in both forms ot my invention is to support the slidable side plates and with the inner resilient means to form a resilient hub. A further purpose is to divide the two different setsot resilient membersso that if one set should be damaged by any means the wheel would not become entirely non-resilient- A further purpose is to form annular chambers between the side plates, the hub and the felly for the purpose of holding and containing` the resilient members. `l l It is to be noted that the springs 16 and 19 havn` their ends pivoted to the studs 17 in such manner that the ends ot the springs extend parallel to the plane of the wheel. This is to'permit a certain pivotal movement of the springs in line with the direction of travel and vthus prevent vtheir ends from snapping od bythe downward thrust of the hub.

Having described my invention, what I claim is: l

A wheel of the character described lIncluding a hub, a :telly arranged in space d relation with the hub and including a substalitially Wide tread portion and an inwardly disposed portion, the inwardly disposed portion being of lesser width than the tread portion, annular flanges arranged upon the opposite faces of the hub and tread portion of the felly, annular plates "arrangedlfori vertical movement between the flanges and the outer faces of the hub and the inwardly disposed portion of the telly, the hub and tread portion of the `folly constituting stops to limit the vertical movement of the. plate 

